Cracking The Case: How Shahi Paneer and Naan Led Delhi Police to Fugitive Couple in Goa

In an intriguing turn of events, the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police successfully apprehended a long-sought fugitive couple in North Goa using an unconventional strategy involving a feast of Shahi Paneer and Naan. 

The accused, Vikas Shandilya and Meenakshi had been on the run for four years, evading charges of defrauding a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) of Rs 4.11 crore.

The investigative team, consisting of six personnel, camped at a hotel in North Goa in August. 

Over the course of five hours, they strategically ordered meals exclusively from restaurants with “Rasoi” (kitchen) in their name. This peculiar culinary pursuit, focused on North Indian fare in a coastal cuisine-dominated state, aimed to track down the elusive couple.

After a series of hit-and-trial orders, the police finally cracked the case with an order from Aunty ki Rasoi, a cloud kitchen located around 4 kilometers from their base hotel. 

Each order was meticulously followed by a police officer to ensure the connection to the accused couple’s food joint.

The couple, who had changed their identities and appearance, was traced to an upscale locality in North Goa, Porvorim. Living in disguise and running a North Indian food joint, Aunty ki Rasoi, the couple had been evading authorities since 2019.

Vikas Shandilya, along with Meenakshi, operated Sewaa Apparels, which had applied for a loan against a property worth Rs 5 crore. The NBFC sanctioned a loan of Rs 4.11 crore on August 31, 2017, with the couple’s firm as the borrower and Meenakshi’s mother named among the co-borrowers.

However, irregularities surfaced when the complainant company conducted an onsite visit, revealing forged property documents and manipulated borrower details. 

The couple had allegedly siphoned off the loan amount, causing substantial losses to the NBFC.

Intriguingly, the investigation uncovered that Gaurav Sharma, mentioned as Vikas’s brother, had no familial relation. 

The couple, both Delhi University graduates, had initially been engaged in the apparel business before getting involved in the fraud in 2017.

The Delhi Police’s ten-day operation in Goa, blending technical surveillance with strategic ordering, ultimately led to the arrest of the couple. 

Vikas Shandilya and Meenakshi are currently in judicial custody, and the chargesheet for the case has been filed. The legal proceedings are underway as the case unfolds in court.